Chapter 20
To the Black Valley is the 20th chapter of My-Otome series. Arika makes her way to the Black Valley where the known terrorist group named as Schwarz resides. This causes worry for Mashiro, Nina and Erstin. With the help of Mikoto, they were able to find Arika, and went to the place Arika is heading. There, Arika's "mother" awaits. Summary It turns out that Kiyohime is a tracking device, and Youko claims that the place the device is showing after analyzing the data is the headquarters of Schwarz, the Black Valley. With the thought of meeting her mother, Arika ventures through the dessert, seeking the Black Valley. At the academy, Erstin, Nina and Mashiro are frantic because of Arika's disappearance. Mashiro then thinks that she may go meeting her mother, shocking Nina. Frustrated, Mashiro exclaims that even though they're bound together, he doesn't understand Arika's feelings at all. Erstin, worried over Mashiro's behavior, proceeds on comforting the latter by hugging him. However, instead of Erstin's affection reaching him, Mashiro comments on how heavy she is, causing her to shed tears and run away. Nina then asks Mashiro why is he concerned about Arika. He then answers that it's because he's worried about her. As he is about to continue, his speech were interrupted by Nina, and she exclaims that what she wants to ask has nothing to do about the situation, and she says that she actually knows that Mashiro is a male, and leaves. Mashiro then wonders about Arika as he sits himself under a tree, and a cat approaches him. While he pets the cat, Mashiro says that it was Arika's smiling face that helped him the first time, and because of that smile, even when things turned painful, he didn't ran away. The cat then asks him if he is ready to go, shocking Mashiro. The cat then transforms into human but retaining it's cat features, and identifies herself as Mikoto. She states that she's been watching Mashiro for a long time, and there's something that she needs to investigate. Somewhere in the academy, Erstin is crying, and she is approached by Nina. While she is being consoled by her friend, Mashiro screams from afar, causing the two to rush on the scene, only to see that Mashiro is being stripped by Mikoto, who says that she has to investigate. Angry, the two proceeds on attacking Mikoto, but none of the attacks hit. She says that what they're doing is rude, as she only want to inform Mashiro about Arika's whereabouts, and proceeds on summoning her Slave. However, she is interrupted by Mashiro, and asks Mikoto if she knows where she is. Mikoto responds that if he will come with her, she will be happy to take her to Arika. However, Erstin and Nina says that it is a trap, but Mashiro still decides to go. Hearing this, the two girls also went along, and they mounted atop on Mikoto's Slave. They later found Arika on a desert, and the three expresses their worry over her disappearance. Reunited, they press on to their destination. Later, they have arrived on a place full of ruined buildings, and Mikoto states that it is the Black Valley. At the Cardair Palace, preparations were being done by the successor of the Emperor. He then says to his subordinate that he entrusts him this task, something that his companion agreed, and adds that he have waited for this. Back at the Valley, everyone is starting at Mashiro's group. Rad then comes out, expressing his delight over the arrival of his "daughter". Mashiro talks back by saying to Rad to leave them alone. Their conversation is then interrupted by Arika, and she inquires about her Mother. Rad tells to the group to follow him, and he lead them to a certain room. Inside, a woman tells his "child" to sleep. Arika calls the woman her Mother, which caught the attention of the woman. The "child" is actually a little doll, and the woman then bursts out in tears and hugs Mashiro, whom she called Arika. Characters in Order of Appearance W-A-G-R-I-M Used Weapons Used *None Abilities Used *Hand to Hand Combat *Slave Summoning *Flight GEMs Used *None Robes Used *None Items Used *Slave Gem Miryoku Used *None Category:Chapters